


And Then There Were None

by bonespell, Frostedsilverwings, Linked_Aurica, Miss_Morri, nicetomeetmew



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Broken Bones, Burning alive, Chains, Deformation, Dismemberment, Drowning, Gore, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Keelhauling, Muzzles, Parental Death, Sacrifice, Sickness, Suicidal Thoughts, Vomiting, Wasps, and we're having too much fun, body rot, cremation, each boy is written by someone different!!!, morals who?, rotting alive, they all die horribly, this is very violent, we banded together to murder all the boys!!!, we're calling ourselves the baby crows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:15:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25065256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonespell/pseuds/bonespell, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostedsilverwings/pseuds/Frostedsilverwings, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linked_Aurica/pseuds/Linked_Aurica, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Morri/pseuds/Miss_Morri, https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicetomeetmew/pseuds/nicetomeetmew
Summary: Time is finally up.
Comments: 55
Kudos: 155





	1. Split

**Author's Note:**

> I'm MajesticGaZell and welcome to jackass. Er, well, welcome to the horrifying murder of Four, the first on our kill-list. I am starting us off on this adventure of death. I will be doing two murders in this work so please look forward to the next one.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A broken blade. A curse of four. Facets of one. The clock is ticking back...
> 
> _Tick, tock, tick, tock..._
> 
> Was there something they could have done?

_"Why... Why are we still switching?"_

**_CLANG!_ **

The piercing sound rang out across the clearing, the final foe falling to the ground in a cloud of dust. Eight heroes turned in unison to face whatever had caused the wretched, cacophonous noise, but they were simply met with the sight of a flabbergasted Four. 

Well, four flabbergasted Fours. Along with a broken blade. 

Wild rushed over to where Red, Green, Vio and Blue stood trembling. He scooped the blade from the ground, shaking hands staring at it like a curse. He looked from the shining steel sword up to the four sides, back and forth. Horror swept through the bearers of courage as the metal blade resting in Wild's hands dissolved into shimmering specks, sifting th th rough the air as it was carried off by the breeze. 

The Four Sword had broken.

While Four was split. 

"She expects us to find a sword? _Under the sea?"_

Wind and Sky were muttering to one another, confusion evident on the youngest's face. 

"The waters of my Hyrule are safer now, sure, but that doesn't mean they're harmless. Plus, how are we supposed to find anything in the sea? There's no way we can explore _the entire ocean!"_

Sky shrugged. He was staring at the vast waters before them, rubbing his hand along the Master Sword's sheath. He gazed intently at the strati above as though they would have the answer. As Hylia’s favored hero, the questioning faith hit him the hardest. 

"Something is wrong," Time said. His gaze rested on the floorboards of Wind's ship, lost in thought much like Sky. 

"You're just saying that 'cuz you always do," Legend snarked. He had a point- Time often slandered Hylia's name, though after hearing what he had been through, it wasn't terribly surprising. But Legend saw that distant look in Blue's eyes, heard the estranged voice of the Goddess as they were plopped into yet another realm. They'd defeated Dark Link... Shouldn't their journey be over?

Time was right, as he normally was. Something was very, _very_ wrong. 

"So, let me get this straight," Hyrule said, looking over to Wind. "Legend has it that the Hero of the Four Sword's weapon has long since been buried in the sea. And that is _all we have been given to go off of._ Hylia wants us to search the entire ocean floor."

Wind threw his hands up in frustration. "Don't ask me! I have no clue what's going on either, but... we need to do _something."_

He glanced off to his right. Eleven heads turned towards Blue whose eyes were locked on the sea. Not a single word had left his lips after the sword had broken. It was as though his soul had been sucked right out of him, body only responsive enough to move.

"Come on, guys. It's been an exhausting day. Let's rest tonight and discuss more later," Warriors said. His determined face was marred with worry. No one had the energy to rebut his words.

They settled in for the night in the ship's dusty hull. It was ragged, smelly, and the cots they slept on were full of holes. Wind apologized for the conditions, but there wasn't much they could do after the Goddess stranded them at sea with Wind's unattended ship. 

They closed their eyes and slept alongside their comrade for the last time. 

They stared.

They stared and stared and _stared._

No. 

That couldn't be right. That couldn't _be-_

"Green...?"

Vio was looking at his counterpart in desperation. There was no response. Green's eyes gazed with a nihilism downward as he stared right through that small object bobbing along the ocean's currents. 

A black portal opened up beneath them. It swallowed them in a gaping maw of inexplicable magic. Protesting shouts were cut short as the group of eleven fell through, one member short. The ship was left empty, aimlessly wandering in the open sea. Next to it-

A scrap of blue cloth drifting silently in the waves. 

**_"You must recreate it... Recreate... Reincarnate... Again, again, again, again..."_ **

The voice echoed through the swirling mass as they were teleported from one world to the next. They landed, Red and Vio staring in shock. Green's gaze remained in the distance, clouded by that same fog Blue had in his gaze before...

Blue. _Blue._

Where was Blue?

He had gone to sleep with them the night before. He hadn't been mentally present, no, but he's been there. That cloth in the water... no, _no!_ It couldn’t be… Could it?

The question was answered with a single glance at Vio and Red's trembling forms, the detached look in their eyes. It was answered when the group remained one short no matter how many times they counted. 

Blue was gone. Spirited away into the ocean without a word. 

"You heard her. We all did. There's no point in denying it." 

Red fiddled with the hem of his tunic, tears pouring from his wide, unseeing eyes. The group settled for the night, tossed somewhere in the middle of Four's Hyrule.

Was it really Four still? Blue was gone... Bu-But they could fix that, right? They were the heroes of courage, of course they could! If Wild could come back from the dead, they could fix this too!

...Right?

"She sounded... off. She's-" Sky cut himself off, rubbing his hands over his watery eyes. 

"She's sending us through space and time even after we've completed her quest. We've heard her mad ramblings multiple times now, too. Messing with these things isn't in the realm of the good, of the sane..." Time said, both eyes open as he gazed at his ocarina. "Out of all of us, I think I would know."

"What do we do then?"

Time looked up, eyes scanning the sky as though it held the answer. There was nothing the stars could tell them, nowhere for the north star to guide them.

Maybe Hylia was a star, too. Maybe she was an echo of something that should be gone, a dying light lost to the darkness.

There were no answers. There was nothing to console the tears shed that night, nothing to vanquish the fear dwelling within Red and Vio. Nothing to stop Green's fever from climbing higher and higher. Nothing that could stop his illness as he slowly withered away. Nothing...

Nothing to stop him from-

"He needs to be on his side!" Hyrule shouted. Warriors flipped Green onto his left. Time, for the first time since they’d met him, was in hysterics. 

"Fairy? Anyone?! _Please_ tell me someone has a fairy!" 

They all fumbled with their bags. Vio and Red clung to each other they watched Green seize, writhing and twitching and drooling and-

Blood trickled from his mouth.

"'Rule!"

"It's okay! H-he p-probably bit his ton-ngue!" A red potion made its way to his trembling hands and he rushed over to Green to administer it. Only... 

"I can't ge-et him to drin-nk anything if he keeps seizing b-but his body d-doesn't have the en-nergy to keep go-oing like this-s." Hyrule hiccuped through his stuttering, tears pouring down his face with an expression cast in misery and panic. _He couldn't stop this._

Green coughed. White foam fizzed through his lips. His eyes had long since rolled into the back of his head, tears, snot and drool covering his face. The foam seeped down his chin, inching further and further and Hyrule had the potion ready but _he wouldn't stop seizing._

Green slowed. His movements faltered from frantic thrashing to a jerking, weak twitching. Red held his brother’s hand in his, starting down at those identical fingers. He watched as the nails turned black, slowly crumbling into nothingness. 

_“No, no nonono-!”_

Red grabbed desperately at Green’s arm, clawing at the skin as though it would keep him there. The darkness spread up from the fingertips to the forearms, slowly turning what once was a hero into nothing more than ash drifting in the wind. 

Just like the blade of the Four Sword, Green withered into the oblivion of non-existence. 

"This isn't real, right?"

Wind laughed through his words, a cracking, wretched thing of hysterical denial. His eyes shone red, bags marring his lower lids with an underscore of sickly blue. Like all the others, the question went unanswered. 

_'Who's next?'_

A collective thought, a wall to protect them from the next shock. 

Red sat shaking next to Vio. The blank stare now haunted everyone's gazes, but Vio's was lacking any sort of humanity at all. There was no light, no indication he was even alive. 

_'Who's next?'_

Red clutched Vio's hand harder as though he could save him from the inevitable. He let out a sob and embraced his brother, Vio remaining nothing but a doll in his grip.

"Why me?" he garbled out miserably. 

_"Why did I have to go last?"_

Red worked with his grandfather to create a new blade for the now-green hilt of the Four Sword. It was the only thing that could distract him from the dead-eyed fish of a brother staring at him each and every day. The thoughtful boy that had once been a pinnacle of assurance and logic had been turned into nothing more than a husk. Vio was empty.

Everyone knew what was coming. There was no stopping it, hope a fleeting plea in the face of the inevitable. Red labored on in crafting the sword, enchanting it and forging it as accurately to the myths he could. It was the only task that made sense, the only thing he could do to prevent Vio’s death. 

It was all for naught. 

Wild had dragged a lifeless Vio off to find ingredients. But a few minutes had passed when a panicked shout rang out like a siren. Some jumped in alarm, already running to meet Wild as he ran back toward the campsite. Others simply stared numbly at Red. 

_‘You’re next,’_ those empty gazes said. 

“He- he-!”

“Cub, cub, cub… breathe. Where is Vio?” 

The question didn’t need to be asked. It didn’t need to be answered. No, Twilight was asking something else. 

_‘Why is this happening? Is this a dream? How… How did it happen this time?’_

“I-I…” Wild could hardly get a word through his throat, choking on his panic and tears. Eyes blown wide and darting about in visceral panic, Wild gulped in air like a strangled animal. The sounds of his misery echoed around them, the only thing to be registered through the ringing tinnitus. 

Laughter. Great, terrible, billowing laughter overcame every sense. Red raced off toward the sound, hilt of the Four Sword clutched tightly in his hand. He weaved through the trees, heart racing as the world spun with vertigo. Foot catching a tree root, Red fell flat on his front into a clearing.

And there he was. Vio, cackling with tears pouring down his face as he danced among a swarm of poisonous wasps. His eyes remained devoid of life despite the jovial laughter emanating from his tiny frame. 

“Please…” Red said, voice cracking. “Please… Please… Stop! Please!”

But he was too late and he knew it. Vio was covered in grotesque lumps of red and purple, every inch of his body swollen as the wasps needled into him with their venomous stingers over and over and over. 

Red was pulled away by two, familiar, strong arms. Warriors grappled him and dragged him, kicking and screaming, away from Vio as his brother fell to the earth. Not an inch of skin could be seen, the toxic wasps covering him from sight. 

The Four Sword’s hilt shone in Red’s hands, shifting from green to purple. The wasps soared away from Vio’s body in a cloud as dust shifted in the breeze.

**_“Merge, Hero of the Four Sword. Become one once more.”_ **

The sword was complete. Red, consciousness still intact, held the blade out in front of him. He had poured his heart and soul into it, his last, desperate hope in saving his brothers. In saving himself. If this didn’t work…

What did he have to lose? 

With a deep, shuddering breath, Red drew upon the familiar magic within the sword. It coiled through his arm, coming to a stop as it sat warmly in his chest. It felt _just_ like it normally did to merge. He’d done it-!

The sword gleamed. Inky black began to swirl around the blade, slowly crawling up his arm. Just as Red had watched the dust claim his brothers, his eyes watched in horror as it _burned_ its way through his body. 

Someone called out to him, voice filled with panic.

“Red!” 

“Stay back!” It was all he could manage before the darkness climbed up his neck, covered his nose and wreathed the crown of his head before _exploding_ into light. 

_Fire._

It consumed him, a raging flame swallowing his entire being in unbearable heat. 

Then, _agony._ Red did the one thing he could.

He screamed.

***

_Drip, drip, drip…_

Red held out his hand in front of him. He watched as his skin melted, peeling itself from his bones and pattering onto the ground below him. Bone, flesh, sanity, life… The fire suffocated it all from him as he screamed, acid sick pouring from his throat only to evaporate in the flames. 

The steel sword in his grasp evaporated, hilt flashing red before disappearing. Red danced, swaying back and forth before falling to the ground in a pile of burning flesh. 

***

A dying star against a sky of pitch. Realization dawned on the boys as the stench of charred skin wafted up their noses. 

Four was gone.

This was it.

The beginning of the end.

_Ashes to ashes, dust to dust._


	2. The Faith In Insanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sky thought this would help...
> 
> The Chosen one chose his fate...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> written by Linked_Aurica

Out of all the moments, right now his lungs decided to go against him. 

The group just switched worlds and Sky was separated from them. Now he was trudging along in the unfamiliar land. 

_ "Master, I feel a 97% decrease in oxygen levels," _ Fi rang in his ears. 

Indeed. 

Sky felt his throat close up and his lungs felt like they were shrinking in size. 

_ Oh Goddess!  _

Panicked, he searched in his bag. It had to be there,  _ it had to- _ he pulled a small L-shaped vial out of his bag. 

Flora had explained to him how to use it:  _ "hold it between your lips and push the button, then inhale."  _

So he did just that. 

The chemicals flowed down his almost closed throat. It took a moment for it to kick in, but as soon as it did, he felt his chest unwind and his throat loosen up. 

____

**_"Sky."_ **

Sky looked up. He swore he heard something. 

_ Maybe I'm just getting tired of the long walk.  _

He had been walking for quite a bit and after his short asthma scare, he felt more tired than before. 

**_"Are you sure?"_ **

Sky stopped walking and, again, looked around for the source of the voice. 

"Hello? Legend? Time?" he called out, but no one answered.  _ Goddess, Sky, you aren't that old to go senile,  _ he scolded himself. 

So he continued his walk, ignoring the voice he swore was there. 

____

What felt like hours, but in reality were just thirty minutes, Sky felt itchy. The sun had been burning down on him, so he blamed it simply on that. 

_ "Master, I sense an increase of discomfort,"  _ Fi chimed. Sky rubbed the back of his neck, his arms, his throat. 

The latter felt worse than before.  _ How- I just used that inhaler,  _ he thought to himself. 

More voices started to whisper to him, but he couldn't understand any of it. Quiet voices, rising from the fog that clouded his mind. 

Sky panicked with each minute that went by. 

_ Something is wrong!  _

_ Get it out! Getitoutgetitout- _

Fi's voice chimed once, twice…  _ "Master, no!"  _

_ ___ _

From an outsider's view, you could safely say that it was the most disturbing sight ever. 

A wicked smile had painted itself on his face, eyes wide and pupils dilated. 

The sword had been lodged in his throat, blood spilling. 

___

Sky felt that  _ thing,  _ whatever it was, sitting in his airway. He had to get it out. It crawled, it blocked his windpipe. 

_ Getitoutgetitout-  _

The blade drove home, severing his windpipe and spine. 

**_"You did so well… You're free now."_ **

_ "Master, no!"  _

_ It's still there- have to get it out!  _

Adrenaline was still present. Sky felt the smile forming, but the fog in his mind obscured any reality he might have over the situation. 

He pulled out the sword… And stabbed again. Blood filled his lungs and mouth, causing him to choke. 

With the last of his strength he pulled the sword out. 

_ "Master, how could this happen?"  _

___

"Where the hell could he be?" 

Legend had been pacing around for some time when they had been waiting for the Skyloftian. They had landed in Wild's Hyrule. "He may be miles away. It may take days for us to reach him," Warriors added. 

"Maybe he's close to a shrine where I can fast travel to," Wild suggested. For all they knew, Sky could be hurt or worse. "No. We better stay together as a group," Time said. "Time, I know this land like my back pocket," Wild replied. "Cub, I will not let you go alone," Twilight said, eyes boring into Wild's. 

"No-one is going alone," Time said, his tone of voice gave no room for negotiation. "If we want to find him before dark, we better head out now," Wild said, and started moving. 

____

It took an hour before Wild stopped walking, and audibly gasped. "What now?" Legend asked, clearly annoyed. Wild didn't move, he didn't even seem to be breathing and kept staring at a figure a few feet further away. 

"Stay here."

Slowly, with his sword drawn, he crept closer to the unmoving figure. 

Nothing prepared him for the sight that his eyes met. 

_ Sky.  _

Sky was laying unmoving in the grass, blood all around him. 

A gaping wound in his throat , like something had clawed itself out of it. 

The Master Sword was laying next to him, also covered in blood - Sky's blood. 

The Master Sword could scorch away any blood that touches her shiny blade, but for some reason, it couldn't get rid of the red that had been inside the Chosen One moments ago. 

Wild felt all his blood drain from his head when he saw Sky's ashen face: a smile that screamed insanity, was painted on his face, eyes empty and unseeing. 

Hyrule had run past the long-haired hero to try and do everything to save his friend. 

But it was all too late. 

The Hero of the Skies had taken the sword and drove it home. 


	3. Burns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything burns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wild time! kayla's writing this one. unfortunately, anita was meant to, but couldn't due to technological issues. this is their idea, and i (kayla) fully credit them!

Everything was quieter, now that they were a smaller group. There were less of them, and they were haunted.

Wild pulled his hood farther up, not making eye contact. Twilight’s arm around his shoulders was a comforting weight, and he gladly leaned into it. Time had said earlier that they were going to stop soon. Wild hoped it was soon. His Hyrule was vast, and somehow he couldn’t feel anything but empty.

“Let’s make camp,” Time said, breaking the heavy silence. The group murmured in agreement, sticking in their small huddles. Everything was wrong. Everything was so wrong.

Wild unpacked his cooking pot carefully, striking up a small flame to make something for the group. Maybe he could lift their moods a little bit by making a hearty stew.

Wild absentmindedly stirred the ingredients in the pot, counting again to make sure he’d added everything in. He was confident he’d done this right. There was no way for him to do this wrong. This was what he was good at. Cooking, caring, living. Everyone else would be fine. They could learn to be right again.

Hyrule dipped his spoon into the broth, taking a teasing taste. His face scrunches up, and he looks at Wild with confusion. “Wild, there are… there’s no spice in this. Did you run out?”

Wild’s eyes widened with a start, and he dropped the ladle in his haste to grab the spice from his bag. Hyrule jumped back to avoid the hot liquid splashing. Wild’s eyes began to itch. He dumped spice into the broth, dropping the bottle like it had burned him. He then fished his ladle out and kept stirring, pretending he hadn’t freaked out like he just did.

“Wild,” Hyrule said slowly. “It’s okay. You’re fine. We’re all a little off. It was a simple mistake.”

Wild nodded in agreement slowly, but he didn’t agree. This was his thing. He was the cook, he was supposed to take care of the group. How had he messed up this one thing? This easy thing? 

“You can serve it,” He told Hyrule, handing him the ladle. “It’s.. it’s done anyways.”

Hyrule nodded, confused, and Wild buttoned his cloak again and set off into the woods. He just.. needed time.

Wild walked for a long time, until he reached a swamp by a lake. He took a seat, taking off his boots and dipping his feet in the water. He hunched over himself then, frantically wiping at his eyes to stop the tears from falling. He didn’t cry anymore. Crying… no. He didn’t.

Wild openly started sobbing. He couldn’t stop it from coming out. In the back of his mind, Twilight’s voice played.  _ Crying doesn’t make you weak, Cub. It’s okay to cry. You’re one of the strongest people I know. It’s okay. I’ve got you. _

Wild wanted Twilight. He wanted Twilight to hold him like he does after a nightmare. He wanted Sky and Four, too. They didn’t deserve what they got. Oh god, they didn’t deserve it. 

Wild stood, stumbling back into the swamp without his boots. He had to go back. The group could help him feel better. This was recovering. This was how to be right. He was so caught up in himself, he didn’t even hear the beeping.

Wild curled in on himself, willing Daruk’s Protection to form. He heard the beam shoot, and squeezed his eyes shut. Daruk would protect him. He’d be okay.

Wild’s eyes snapped open as he rolled out of the way, muscle memory taking over. Daruk was gone. They were gone. They were all gone, and he was alone, and, and-

“Cub!”

No, oh god. No.  _ No _ . Twilight and the others were here now, in this battle. Wild watched Twilight ran forwards to him. He couldn’t make himself move, couldn’t tell Twilight to stop, to run away.

The red beams, two of them now, switched to Twilight. Wild ran to him, as fast as his legs could carry him. He could save Twilight. He could make things right again. He knew where he was now, too. How could he have forgotten there were guardians right by Tarrey Town? It was silly of him, but he was clear-headed now. This he could do. These people, he could save.

Wild slammed bodily into Twilight, throwing his shield around Twilight’s back and covering the hero with his own body. This was okay. He was okay with this being his final stand. All he cared about was Twilight, the rest of the group surviving.

The beams went off. He pressed his face deep into Twilight’s chest as he felt one bounce off his shield, and then-

Wild made a sound somewhere between a scream and a sob as the beam tore him apart. It ripped through him, exposing his faulty organs and broken heart to the real world. He could feel his skin bubbling. His hair was on fire. He choked on his screaming, unable to make any other sounds.

He felt Twilight wrap his arms around him, and hoist him into the air. He could hear his name, and pleading. Wild didn’t fear death anymore, but he didn’t think it would hurt like  _ this _ .

He hears Flora, too. That would be nice. He’d like to see Zelda again before he died, just to say sorry. He had so many apologies to give her, but not enough time for more than one. That was okay. He’d tell her the rest when they met again.

He felt the familiar blue of the slate consume him, and suddenly he’s outside Hyrule castle. He felt Twilight yell from where he’s pressed against his chest. He dug the small, uninjured part of his face into the wolf pelt, taking a deep, comforting breath. Twilight help him tighter.

Then came Zelda’s scream of horror, and two smaller hands on his hands, holding them to her chest. Wild cracked his eyes open, with effort, and smiled at her in what he hoped was comforting.

“We need to take him to the shrine,” She ordered finally. Wild bodily flinched at that. No. He didn’t want to go back. Please don’t make him go back. He didn’t want to forget them all again. He couldn’t forget again. He hadn’t even finished remembering.

To his horror, Twilight agreed with Flora, and the blue light materialised them again, on the plateau.

“No,” Wild forced himself to murmur, squirming in Twilight’s arms, despite the pain it brought his blisters.

His skin was cracked and bleeding and hot, and it was bubbling as air got into his wounds. It hurt. Goddess, it hurt. But he couldn’t go back. He refused to go back.

“Wild, you have to,” Twilight said. He sounded close to tears. Flora was fumbling with something some ways away.

“Don’t… can’t forget,” Wild sobbed. It hurt so much. He just wanted it to be over. “‘s okay, Twi. I… chose this. Not your fault.”

Wild was mad at himself, for how incoherent he was. He needed Twilight to know it wasn’t his fault. Wild chose this for himself. He chose to do this to himself. 

“I can’t get it open,” Flora yelled. Wild kept his eyes open. The sky had darkened considerably. Rain began to patter down. It was cold. It lessened the pain of Wild’s burns.

“Princess,” Twilight said, breathless with worry. “Will you please go and get the others? We all need to say goodbye.”

Flora nodded, taking the slate. Before she left, she kneeled next to Wild, taking his hand. She was smiling, despite the tears in her eyes. She took his hand gently, and pressed a kiss to the scarred skin.

“Rest well, my brave one,” She said, voice cracking. He thought there were tears on her face, but couldn’t quite tell if there were. The rain was too heavy. Wild couldn’t ask for a friend better than her. She deserved so much more, and…

Flora took a deep breath, and stood up slowly. She took one last look at Wild before vanishing into blue. Wild exhaled calmly. He was glad she didn’t stick around to watch the light leave his eyes again. She didn’t deserve that.

Twilight held him in the rain, shaking. Rocking him. Humming a gentle tune. Wild closed his eyes. He was so tired, and he hurt so bad. Maybe it was just time to give in. Give up. Let himself rest.

“...Twi?” He asked finally. “Please tell me y’know… it wasn’t y’r… wasn’t y’r fault. None of your fault. Tell… tell Zelda that. She’ll only… blame herself. I’m… sorry. I love.. I love you.”

“I love you too, Cub,” Twilight replied, pressing his face into Wild’s hair. “I’ll be sure to tell her… tell all of them. It wasn’t their fault.”

“Wasn’t.. yours, either,” Wild protested weakly.

“Mhm,” Twilight hummed in agreement. He pressed a kiss to Wild’s forehead. Wild sighed.

“Get some rest, Cub. Get some sleep. You did so good. I love you too.”

Wild smiled gently, and exhaled.

-

Twilight could pinpoint the exact moment he lost his little brother. He’d never forget that moment. Not for as long as he lived.


	4. Malformed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written By Frosty. Read at your own expense.

The weight of a shield was nothing new to Twilight but this one came with more than the wood and steel it was made of. Twilight could still feel Wild pressed against him as the heat of the Guardian lasers hit his cub. Wild was perfectly capable of defending himself against two Guardians, but to defend someone else? _I'm just a nuisance. And a deadly one._

The sand shifted under his feet as they walked along the coast, they planned to head to Lurelin Village at Wind's suggestion to… avoid the truth, and to remember. _We managed to defeat Dark, but we still haven't earned our rest. Or maybe we have, after all those who...die… rest eternally…_

A small yelp from in front of Twi caught his attention. Wind was Nursing his foot and glaring at something that was partially buried in the sand. A stranger from their left came up to the group quickly, "Watch out! That is part of an Ancient Enchanted Mirror said to be older than the Guardians themselves!"

"A mirror?" Twilight felt himself say before he could stop himself. His chest bubbled with something light, giddy. His heart pounded with anticipation...

With hope.

No. He didn't need any more lies. He wouldn't- he _couldn't_ put up with any more false hope. Another false lead would be the death of him

"Yeah, legend has it that when the mirror is complete a gateway will open to another world entirely! I'm Garini, by the way pleasure to meet you," the man said looking at Twi clearly glad someone will listen to him.

"I'm Twilight, Do you know where the rest is?" Twi stepped to the front now, ignoring the worried looks he was getting. They knew about Midna and knew that that mirror was special. If it was close then they had something to do on the way to the Village. If not then it was a welcome distraction from all the loss they have suffered. With the hope of finding Midna, the loss of three of their brothers seemed just a little more bearable.

"Yeah, the rest is on the beach, I've got locations written down and some pictures that were given to me by a young lad who looks a lot like your group," the man said. "You lot look well traveled. I'll tell you what, I will give you the notes on the locations and pictures of them if you promise to bring the pieces back, and if they _do_ lead to another world, I'm coming with."

Twilight had enough sense to not accept immediately and to let the others talk. They all stepped away from the man and discussed what they should do. “Well, we know how important this mirror is. Should we side track now, or is the beach too large an area to comb through before speaking to Flora?“ Time asked, getting straight to the point.

“He said there were pictures and locations, that’s as good as a map for me! I say we find them!” Wind said enthusiasm back at being able to help. There were various nods andhumms of agreement. Twilight felt his heart swell again before he pushed the feeling back. They were chasing a rumor, for all they know this could lead to a dark world full of monsters and it was a threat to this world.

“Well then that settles it, lead the way little sailor” Warriors says.

They gathered the mirror shards, they weren't that hard to find, but when they did they could see why the man who gave them directions never got them himself. They were **heavy** Twilight could carry one for the most part but it was just too _big_ to grip and not drop. Everyone needed someone to help them, Twilight and Legend got together for the first one, legend slipping his titan mitts and glaring lightly at Twilight who could hold his end without magical aid. Time and Warriors Grabbed the second one hefting it up in tandem. Wind and Hyrule got together for the last one, hefting it up with the aid of Winds power Bracelets.

It took a while to get them all back to the first Mirror Shard but when they did they were greeted by Garini. It was a much quicker process to put the mirror together as when they got close to the final shard all of the pieces began to glow and float out of the hands that were holding them. After reliving their carriers the Mirror Shards priced themselves together and rose up into the air, a glowing staircase and platform appearing, their forms made from light. 

The scene stayed that way for a while. No one spoke or moved, too awe-struck to do so until Garini spoke up, "It's true! The Mirror is a portal just like my great-grandfather's texts said. I must see the other side if only for a moment to tell my boy!" Garini started making his way up the stairs and spoke again, "By Din! These stairs are amazing!" The man looked back at the group behind him, "Are you coming?"

Twi jerked out of his state of shock and started up the stairs with the man, the platform was rather narrow and could only hold the two of them so everyone else waited with baited breath. 

_Will this work? Or will this relic shatter before I can make it to the other side? Please, Hylia if you do care..._

_Let me have this one thing…please._

The familiar feeling of Twili Magic enveloped the two standing on the platform and Twilight quickly felt himself being pulled through the portal. _It works! I'm going to see her again. Pops can meet her._ Twilight felt giddy with relief and excitement. Although it was short lived as when the two men felt their feet touch the grounds of the Twili's realm, an arrow wizzed passed their heads hitting the portal and exploding behind them.

The force of the explosion knocked the unsuspecting men off their feet and face first into the stone at the feet of a number of Twili. "...em up! Take…ells" Twilight could barely make out a voice over the feeling of cotton and sound of ringing in his ears. He was grabbed roughly by the midsection and thrown over someone's shoulder. He tried to struggle but each effort resulted in a smack to the back of his head, making him dizzy and nauseated.

They dropped him eventually and he was able to recover with no extra abuse. Twilight laid there for a few minutes catching his breath before he heard a curse from behind him. Blinking slowly he opened his eyes and rolled to his other side. Where he saw the man who told him about the Mirror Shards. His head hurt too much to remember his name but he could see he was faring much better then Twilight was at the moment. Likely farther from the explosion, not to mention a lack of enhanced senses. 

"Farore, are you alright my friend?" The man said, crawling over.

_Why is his voice so quiet?_

"Did that blast hit you? You seem to be bleeding-- ah it's your ear. Hold still I'll find something to stop the blood." The man fished through his pockets before he found a handkerchief. "It isn't the best but under the circumstances it will have to do."

Twilight let the man press the cloth to his ear as he suppressed a shout, the sound coming out as a hiss. He reached his hand up to his head and held it there. The man helped him move over to the wall of the cell Twilight could now recognize they were in. He leaned against the stone and took inventory, aside from his head it seemed he just had some scrapes and bruises. Using his free hand he reached for his sword only to find it missing. No surprise. All his gear seemed to have been taken while he was being carried. He thought he was awake and aware the whole time but he must have blacked out at some point for them to have been able to steal all his items. Even his pelt seemed to be missing.

With a panicked gasp he reached to his neck and felt around to double check. The crystal was gone. The Twili could be very suspicious if they found him with it or they could be very happy if they found it. On the one hand finding a stranger with your magic is suspicious and on the other finding someone with the same magic as someone you know of can prove their identity.

A loud clanging from the door of their cell jerked Twilight out of his thoughts again and he dropped the hand holding the handkerchief to his ear, the cloth falling silently to the ground. Three Twili walked in wearing armor of sorts that Twilight had never seen before. Pushing himself up the hero put himself between the civilian and the Twili who clearly did not recognize him and were hostile.

"I want to speak to Midna. She should kno--" Twilight never got to finish his sentence as one of the guards quickly crossed the room and rammed a fist into his gut. Coughing and doubling over Twilight ignored the cries of shock from behind him and pushed himself back up. He wouldn't let them hurt a civilian.

"Criminals are not allowed to speak of The Great Queen Midna, especially treasonous scum like you." The Twili standing in the Middle said harshly. The remaining Twili who had not yet made any action moved behind Twilight to the man he was attempting to protect.

As Twi moved to stop him he felt a pull and his arms we're bound behind him. He turned his head and found the Twili that had punched him had cast some form of chain from their hands and around his wrists, pulling him to them. He turned back and saw the kind man in a similar situation, hands bound, fear in his eyes. Though he was smart enough to not say anything. He did not know about this land and it was now imprisoning them.

"Please, my name is Link, can you tell Queen Midna that I am in this realm agai--" 

This time was worse. He took a hard punch to the gut and then the, assumed, leader of the trio hit the back of his head. He nearly collapsed completely but the restraints on his wrists kept him up where the Twili could reach him. "...zle…im!" The words were quiet and felt distant but he knew they were shouted just above him. 

_If only I could just stand up then I could… wait what are they doing? No… No!_

He pushed himself up as best he could ignoring the protests of his body and thrashed as the two of the Twili held him down. He was punched again, this time in the chest.

_Pop_

It was such a small sound that if he didn't _feel_ it as well Twilight would have thought it was just his imagination. Unfortunately it wasn't. He did hear and feel a pop from his chest and he found that moving and breathing was much more difficult. He was forced to be still and to be quite by his own body as the Twili held him down and wrapped a _muzzle_ around his face.

"Please, I'm sure he won't speak out of turn again. Is the- the muzzle really necessary?" The man said bravely, deciding he finally had enough of being protected at the cost of another.

"As was stated earlier criminals do not speak of the Great Queen Midna. He has worsened his crimes and spoke out of line multiple times. To ensure it will not happen again he will be silent. You should do well to hold your tongue as well lest you find yourself brothers in silence." Twilight looked up at him and shook his head.

_Please don't. I've already failed to save you from imprisonment, don't make it worse._

The man wisely stayed silent although looked at the bound hero in remorse. The guard pulled the chain connected to Twilight back, forcing him upright where he was pushed to the door. Stumbling forward Twilight began to walk in-between the two Twili. Footsteps from behind him told Twilight that the other two were following.

The guards led them out of the dungeons and up a flight of stairs that Twilight had trouble with now due to the throbbing in his head and chest. By the end of the first flight Twilight was gasping for breath. His chest was screaming and the muzzle dug into his skin as he tried to take deeper breaths. He was starting to get dizzy again. Not enough air. Not enough air. _Not enough air!_

"Please, he can't climb more steps. Can-can I carry him?" The man said confidence leaving as he finished his question. Twilight looked back at him, his vision blurring around the edges. He could barely hear a voice from in front of him but he was losing focus. The man spoke again and eventually his hands were released the chain place at his neck instead.

Twilight's vision went black for a minute and he felt himself be caught by two human arms. He blinked again and found that he could breath easier as he was being carried, bridal style. His ribs were still screaming but they did not protest with every miniscule breath. He was able to catch some of his breath back now that he was not standing but not laying flat. His arms were still bound and he had no way of asking to be let down so Twilight decided to simply wait it out.

They climbed three more flights of stairs and the two prisoners are sure that the young hero would have suffocated or passed out long before they reached the top. Something told the archeologist that suffocation would have been better.

The guards removed Twilight from the other man's arms and rebound his hands as they reached a set of very ornate doors with glowing blue lines. Twilight recognized this place, although slightly different than last time he was here, it was the throne room. Maybe they were listening and we're taking him to see Midna like he asked.

The doors opened and revealed a very different throne room from Twilight's memories. The back was cut off from the rest of the room with a rich black-blue curtain that was opaque enough to block the other side from view but transparent enough to see that there was someone sitting on the throne as well as two people flanking them.

The other side of the room was much easier to see. There were eight ornate black pillars made from the same material the rest of the world seemed to be made of. The two pillars closest to the curtain were pulled away from the wall and closer to the center. There was a blue walkway leading to the curtain, and seemingly past it, made out of stone although dyed with the magic of the Twili.

The five new entries to the throne room made their way up to the final pillars when the two men were separated and each of them bound to a pillar in front of the throne. The movement made Twilight gasp in pain, vision blurring momentarily as he fought off the nausea and pain once more. He was in front of the throne of the Twili people surely Midna would recognize him and fix all this.

"Who are these people?" A male voice rang out from behind the curtain.

"They are Hylians, the ones from the portal you destroyed. One of them called himself Link and dared to ask multiple times to see the Great Queen Midna. As if he knew of her greatness. Bah!" One of the guards said next to Twilight and he turned his head in confusion.

_Who could destroy the portal? Midna should be the only one unless she offered her throne to someone else…_

"He seems confused. How about we let him see the Great Queen as a parting gift." Twilight looked up quickly and saw the curtains begin to draw slowly. His head was shoved down into a bow as the curtains lifted. Eventually he heard the movement stop and the voice of the man again, "Let him rise."

The hand was gone and he lifted his eyes slowly to avoid being injured further. Up and up until he saw who was sitting in the throne and _what_ was behind it.

There was a Royal Twili _Male_ who looked very much like Midna but was distinctly _not her._ And behind him, on the wall, was a mural. It was large, to the point that it took up almost the entire wall. The entire thing was of Midna and her journey to save the Twili realm. The center of the mural was of Midna herself serene, eyes closed but still fiery in her appearance. 

Twilight almost sobbed looking at the mural. _She was gone. I came all this way for nothing and now I'm trapped here for the rest of my life. However long that is…_

"Hmmm, now then. The two of you are guilty of treason against the Twili People. You have crossed between our world's after it has been strictly prohibited since the time of usurper Zant and Great Queen Midna. Due to your status as Hylians we will give you an opportunity to live through our magic. However if it does not work or you do not take the offer you will be put to death." The Royal spoke firmly and finally.

_Put to death… I suppose I will be able to see my Cub again, but how can they do that to- to Garini, he just helped me. If I wasn't so Sure that Midna was here…_

Sobbing came from his right and Twilight saw Garini mumbling to himself and luckily was on his good side where Twi could make out some of what he was saying, " Goddesses… atch….son" 

Twi couldn't bring himself to pray. The last time he did… he ended up here… he dared not leave his family with a deadly prayer.

Instead he simply closed his eyes and tried to ignore the fact that death was looming. That he was too injured to fight. That he couldn't save someone's dad. That he would let down his living brothers and see his fallen ones much sooner than promised. He wouldn't be able to teach Colin sword play. Illia would have to take care of Epona. Rusle and Uli would need to find another person to take over as Godfather for their newest addition. So many people he would be letting down just because He wanted to see if he could possibly see Midna again. He was so selfish.

"Guard at the ready." The royal spoke without warning. Arm up hand open, readying a signal. One of the guards to the right of the royal raised their arms as if drawing back a bow and a large black mass in an arrow shape although spear size formed. The guard aimed at Garnini who was still crying, he had given up all attempts at strength and simply cried.

"Fire!"

_Thwuk_

The arrow went through Garnini and hit the pole behind him. He was silent for a few seconds, head tilted up, mouth agape in a silent scream before a dark scratchy inhale was made and a screech was heard. The arrow turned into tendrils and wrapped around the Hylian hiding their form as they continued to cry out and the chains jingled from behind them.

An inhuman screech tore through the room, echoing off the slick black stone walls and reverberating in Twilight's skull. It lasted far longer than any Hylian should have been able to scream, especially after being shot. When it finally died down Twilight cracked his eyes open and saw the guards were standing in front of the where Garini was moments ago he could hear the chain being dispelled and a body falling and he cried silently for the man.

But then as the guards moved away there was an addition to their ranks. Twilight looked back and forth between the new Twilight and where Garnini's body _should_ be. A large pit of dread settled in his stomach as he realized the what words from earlier ment.

_"...we will give you an opportunity to live through our magic."_

The Hylian Garnini is dead. In his place is a Twili and the Hero is next.

"Mmm! Mmmmm! Mmmm mmmmmmm!" Twilight tried to call out and reason with them one more time. Twili Magic _never_ mixed well with the Triforce and the amount of magic needed to turn Garnini into a Twili instead of a Spirit must be immense.

"Silence! Guard, At the ready."

"Mmmmm!" _Please, wait!_

"Aim."

"Mmmm!" _Let me explain who I am!_

"Fire!" 

"Mm!"

_Skeurtwunk_

Twilight couldn't feel when the arrow hit him but he could feel _all the magic_ fighting over his body. He screamed as much as he could. He felt the Triforce pushing against the dark Magic. He felt his wolf form pulling itself out. He felt a new and unfamiliar form trying to rip his body apart and take it for it's own.

He continued to scream against the muzzle as his body was ripped apart and sewn back together a different way _again and again and again_ by a different magic each time. He became acutely aware of some form of liquid dripping down his chin and he figured it was either spit or blood from the muzzle. Either way he found something to ground him and Twilight managed to calm his breathing as the magic war in his body continued to rage.

"...at is th...trosity?" He could hear the royal ask in a deeply offended tone. "Burn it!" 

The command rang clear through Twilight's good ear, his other one having gone completely silent by the time the magic was done ripping through his body. The words left a cold chill through his core he started to shake, his broken rib re-anouncing its presence. He didn't care. He needed out. Out. Out. _Out._

The air around him seemed to get hotter by the second. Next to his ear he heard the roar of flames igniting and it wasn't long until he felt the flames licking at his legs and burning at the hair on his head.

_What was that trick again? If you know you can't make it out of a fire? Right, smoke inhalation is better than burning……_

_Where is the smoke? Not even his fur or hair is smoking? Where is the smoke? Why isn't there smoke?_

Taking big gulps of air in ignoring the screaming agony of his broken rib, because maybe he'll puncture a lung instead of _burning alive! Dear Hylia I'm burning alive!_

His attempts at screaming is met with more resistance as the muzzle pushed against his skin. The flames licked at his face and he could feel the material of the muzzle heating up and burning, _searing_ into his skin. His screaming intensified as he felt the back of the muzzle burn away allowing it to loosen but the front stayed firm and the metal frame burned into the bone.

Twilight pulled forward against the chains that did not seem to change temperature no matter how many flames roared and licked at them. Pulling and pulling just to get away from the flames, away from the heat.

_Drip_

That sound. Suddenly all the heat left his body as his blood ran cold. He knew that sound. He heard it once. Only once. When Red died. He was melting. He wasn't just burning, he was melting. _Dear Hylia I'm melting! Hylia, Farore, Nayru, Din, Light Spirits, Sages, anyone please!_

A final choked gasp came from Twilight as the fire rose and licked at his throat burning away the skin and taking away the last of his air.

_Please..._

  
  


The sound of the shattering mirror had sent them all reflexively to the ground. Once the echo cleared they all tentatively got up staring at the place where their brother was last. "Time, what- where's Twilight?" Wind asked fearing he already knew the answer.

"It appears he has been trapped on the other side of the Mirror." Time said gravely

They stood in silence staring at the empty space where the Mirror once stood. Waiting, hoping, praying, for their brother to find a way back. They knew how hard it was to find a mirror on this side but maybe on the other side it was easier and Twilight would be able to find a mirror that wouldn't break.

"Hey you're the guys who were helping Daddy earlier!" The group turned to see a Kid with a blue shirt similar to Wind's and carrying a basket of what smelled to be fish. "Daddy told me to pick up some fish from the town and when I came back you were here. Do you know where Daddy is?"

Dread filled their stomachs, how could they forget? It wasn't just their brother trapped on the other side of the mirror it was someone's Father.

Wind flinched from the back of their group. He saw Twilight! He saw his spirit. He looked fine, he didn't even seem injured, maybe he was knocked out of his body? But he acted differently than when Tetra was knocked out of her body, he seemed more distant.

Twilight's form flickered and suddenly was replaced by a grotesque form. Wind stepped back quietly and stifled a gasp to avoid alerting anyone else. Most of the form was burnt completely but there were parts that could be identified easily. Wind could see that there was a wolf's paw and a long black arm that didn't look burnt. Almost the entire bottom half was unrecognizable but the face. Wind could cry. He saw his brother his blue eyes faded now, those markings ever prominent, and-- and a muzzle. The only part of it left was the metal but he could see that there was a muzzle and…

He looked away.

Why didn't he see a spirit with the boy?


	5. Time's Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written by Anita, hope I don’t hurt you too bad :)

It was tense, Wind could feel it. No one was near ready to talk, neither was he. It was just so surreal though, four of them just….gone. Was this their punishment? Their final reward? Was this the way the world showed they weren’t needed? By killing them off? Who’s next? “Am I next?” 

He watched as the others walked through the roads of Time’s Hyrule, weariness settling itself on his chest. Something didn’t feel right, he could sense it. It put him on edge, how was he supposed to feel? Knowing he might be the next to die? “Will I be the next to die?” 

He continued to walk behind the group, deep in thought, until he fell face first into the dirt, a heavy weight on top of him. 

“Hey! Watch where you’re going-“ 

He stopped short once he saw that the person who’d fallen on top of him had been the mailman, who was…..panting? ”That’s weird, the mailman is rarely out of breath….”

He got up quickly, only to be pushed aside again by the mailman.

“A gasp letter! gasp From the gasp Queen! gasp For Link! gasp Says it’s gasp urgent!! gasp” 

“A letter? From Zelda?” Wind startled, that was the first time he had spoken since Twilight’s…death. He supposed it was understandable, he did lose someone very important to him. Wind watched as he opened the letter, and watched as Time’s face grew from indifferent to confused to shock in just a matter of a few moments, making him feel all the more uneasy. 

“What did it say?“

“Stay here.”

Wind jumped “Wh-what?” 

“I said stay here, don’t even think about following me, is that clear?” 

Warriors turned to him “Old Man, you can’t really expec-“

“ I said, is that clear Captain?” Time looked at Warriors with a look that left no room for argument, silencing him at the tone 

Time gathered his weapons, and promptly went into the woods, out of sight. Wind let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “What was that?” 

  
Warriors bristled, clearly upset with their leader. 

“Old Man, you’re going to be the death of me. Alright, we need a plan.” 

Legend prodded the ground with a stick. “Well, what do you have in mind Captain, we can’t just prance in there all nice and dandy, he’ll have our heads”. 

Wind flinched, that probably wasn’t the best comment when it came to their situation.

Warriors sighed, but moved his sights onto Hyrule, who had been all too quiet since well….the beginning of this whole mess. “Okay, Traveler, what do you have in mind?” 

Hyrule looked deep in thought for a moment. “I think we should go look for him. Make sure he’s okay at least right?” 

Warriors nodded “Okay then, let’s go, we don’t have much time.” 

  
Finding Time had been hard, many times did Wind wish Wolfie were there to help them, considering the wolf had been rather absent since Twilight’s death. Many times he hoped that the Old Man was okay, for everyone’s sake. 

A while later, the sounds of battle could be heard in the distance, violent and brutal. They picked up the pace, all hoping that their fears weren’t true. 

It wasn’t much after that they found themselves in a clearing. The very clearing where Time is was going face to face with a goddess-dammed Lynel. 

Wind was confused. He thought that all foreign monsters had returned to their worlds. Why was this Lynel here all of a sudden? And Time is fighting it all alone?! What’s he thinking?!

Needless to say it wasn’t long before they had jumped in to help him. Wind had almost gotten to the lynel before something slammed into him, knocking him down again. 

“Are you okay Sailor? Can you hear me?”

His eyes focused, just to see Time kneeling in front of him, hand outstretched. He hesitated before taking it, opting to ask some questions instead. 

“Why didn’t you let us come with you?! We can help you! You don’t have to do this alone! Why are you doing this? Don’t you see how much we need each other right now? Why-“

“Just take my hand Wind. I’ll answer your questions later.”

He didn’t look at him when he took his hand. He did, however, look at Warriors when he called to them after getting thrown back.

“HEY! A LITTLE HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED! WE NEED TO STAY FOCUSED OKAY?” 

He looked toward Time one last time, taking in all of the injuries he already had. He wouldn’t allow them to go any further. He wouldn’t. And that was a promise. 

He rushed at the Lynel, sinking his sword into one of his front legs. He dodged a fatal swing just in time to slash at its arm. The Lynel roared, jumping back. He was about ready to dodge out of the next attack when suddenly it rushed at Legend, throwing him back a good 30 feet. Wind feared the worst when Legend didn’t get back up. But he couldn’t dwell on that right now, they were one man down and this Lynel really didn’t plan on going down. 

Just as he gathered his thoughts, he saw Hyrule getting kicked by the Lynel, meeting a similar fate to Legend. Wind attacked then, slashing at the Lynel along with Time and Warriors at any given opening. Making its injuries worse with each blow. He didn’t care that he was covered in monster blood, he only had one thought in mind: survive. 

The Lynel was relentless, however, managing to land a few good hits, making Wind all the more unfocused. “What would Wild do? What would Wild do? What would Wild do?!” He didn’t notice the giant hoof making course for his chest until all he felt was the searing pain.

“WIND!” 

He fell down, everything blurry and unfocused. He could barely hear the shouts and grunts from the battle in front of him, but it mattered little to him. He just had to get up. He had to help somehow. 

  
Time looked at Warriors, who was parrying a rather strong swing from the Lynel. 

“Captain, I want you to run, understand me?”

“What?! No! We’re not leaving you here you here! There’s is literally no way you can take this thing down alone! I’m not leaving, and that’s final.” 

Time bit back a chuckle “Wild managed to do it, who says I can’t?” He grunted, raising his shield to block another swing of the Lynel’s blade. 

Warriors looked at Time like he had grown two heads. “Wild had experience Old Man! He had the experience we need right now to defeat this thing! But he’s dead! He’s dead and you can’t win this alone!” He turned just in time to swat away the massive arm going his way, but that didn’t stop him from being pushed back. 

Time swung the Biggoron Sword, slashing the Lynel’s arm. He didn’t want them to go, but he knew that he didn’t want them to see either. “Captain, I mean it, go. Go and don’t come back for me.” He saw the Lynel was rearing for an attack, so he persisted “Go, GO!” 

Warriors panicked, he didn’t want to leave Time alone, but it was that or risk all of their lives. He dodged out of the Lynel’s attack, looking around. Legend and Hyrule we’re getting their bearings back, and Wind was getting up again. He bristled. He knew he’d probably regret this, but he decided. 

“EVERYONE RETREAT- RUN AS FAR AS YOU CAN WITHOUT GETTING SEPARATED FROM THE REST. AND WHATEVER YOU DO- DON’T LOOK BACK!” 

At those words, Wind started running like he never had before. He ran until he reached the start of the woods, hesitating before going in. He couldn’t look back. The Captain said not to look back. “But what if he’s hurt?! We have to help him!” 

“SAILOR WHAT ARE YOU DOING? KEEP GOING- THAT’S AN ORDER.” 

He tried to heed Warriors’ orders, he really did. But his concern won the best of him, and he looked back. 

He looked back just in time to see Time get shot at with a shock arrow, knocking him down, defenseless. 

He looked back just in time to see the Lynel lift him up by his hair, releasing a shout from the older man. 

He looked back just in time to see Time struggling, kicking and flailing, trying to get out of the Lynel’s grasp. 

He looked back just in time to see the Lynel raise its mighty blade. 

And he could only stand there, and watch, as the Lynel swung.

And sliced Time clean in half. 

“TIME!” 

Wind hadn’t screamed like that since his sister was kidnapped two years ago, but he didn’t care. He kept screaming. Kept screaming as he saw the body fall to the ground with a sickening thud. Kept screaming as Time, in his last moments, looked at him, and smiled. “Why is he smiling? Why is he smiling? We have to help him. We have to do something-“ He kept screaming even after Warriors had picked him up and ran away. He kept screaming, because that’s the only thing he could do. 

  
Tears fell from his eyes like waterfalls, obscuring his vision. He could barely make out Warriors sitting in front of him. 

“I told you not to look back- I told you.” 

“I’m sob sorry sob I didn’t sob mean to! sob” 

He didn’t understand why arms were wrapped around him, comforting him. He wasn’t the one who just died. He wasn’t the one who just left everything they loved and cared for- 

  
Malon. 

  
That was the only thing that went through his mind at that moment. “Oh Goddess Malon. What are we gonna tell her?! We can’t- we can’t just-“ 

“Wind? Wind! Breathe, breathe kiddo, you’re okay. We’re here. Nothing can hurt you” Liar “You’re safe” 

“Wars sniff we have to tell Malon sniff” 

Everyone seemed to still at the mention of her name. He figured they didn’t remember. He swallowed the lump in his throat, they weren’t going to like this. 

Warriors released him then, suddenly aware of where they were. He looked around the group. “sigh We’re going to have to go back, we need to at least check….”

Legend looked at Warriors from his spot next to Hyrule.  
“To check what? That he’s dead? Captain, you heard as well as I did the Sailor’s scream. There is no chance he’s alive.” 

Warriors looked away “I know alright?! I know….I just- there’s has to be a body we can take back you know? We can’t leave her with nothing!” 

“He’s right” Hyrule looked at Legend, sadness in his eyes “We can’t let him… die like this. I say we go, and we take what we find. But we have to do it now.” 

Legend scoffed, but ultimately got up “Fine, but if you’re disappointed, don’t say I didn’t tell you.” 

  
The walk towards the clearing had been silent. Everyone was on edge. Would they encounter the Lynel again? Would they have to fight it again? Would they make it out? 

They all thought of this, so that’s why they were surprised when they didn’t even see a body….only the giant bloodstain on the spot where he had been killed. 

Only a bloodstain…..

And a mask. 

A few feet to the right was a stark white mask with what seemed to be an intertwining line on the front of it. 

Wind couldn’t recognize the mask, but he thought that it was strangely familiar. 

He showed it to the others, everyone showing equal amounts to confusion. He gave it to Warriors, for safekeeping. Knowing that probably, out of all of them, he was the closest to Time. 

They didn’t stay long after that. Deciding that they shouldn’t stay much longer, in fear that Lynel would come back for more. The walk to the Ranch was quiet as well, all agreeing that there was nothing more to say. 

Stepping into the Ranch had been almost painful. He felt like he was trespassing. They all did. Warriors looked sick when he knocked on the door. And Legend might as well have seen a ghost when Malon came opened the door, brightest smile on her face. 

“Hello boys! Glad to see that you’re here! Say, is Link with you? He’s usually the one who knocks-“ she stopped short once she really saw them. Faces full of hurt….and guilt. Her smile dropped. 

Warriors tried to explain “Malon I-“

“What happened?” 

Warriors looked away A minute passed and he finally brought out the mask. Wind flinched when he heard her gasp ‘This isn’t fair. By the Goddesses this isn’t fair.’ He saw as her face went through a myriad of emotions, eyes watering while she registered what happened. 

Legend spoke up “We tried to tell him, we really did, but he wouldn’t listen. I’m really sorry, we all are.” 

Wind saw Malon reach for the mask, tears sliding down her cheeks. She held it as close as she could, sobs beginning to rack her form. 

They waited, that was the least they could do. They all watched as she cried, mourning the loss of her husband. Wind couldn’t stand to see her so devastated like that. He couldn’t bear to see all those tears going down her face. He just couldn’t. He had to comfort her somehow. She shouldn’t be alone, not like his Grandma was. So he did the only thing he could

He hugged her. 

He hugged her the way he would’ve hugged his Grandma that horrible day. He hugged her with the strength he knew she needed right now. Slowly, the others joined in, because they knew that no amount of words would make up for what she just lost. 

I’m sorry, I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough for him, for you. 

In the distance, Wind saw the outline of a figure that was all too familiar to him. He saw Time, nothing more than a spirit now, sad smile on his face. Wind only hugged Malon tighter, hoping that his actions would be enough. 

I’m so sorry. 

It was all starting to look better, Malon had stopped crying and now she was just hugging them. Clinging to them like they might disappear too, which honestly, they just might. It wasn’t until much later that she talked though. And Hylia only knew how much these words them affect them. 

“I-I never got to tell him…” Her voice barely above a whisper. 

“Tell him what?” He asked. 

“I’m pregnant.” 

Wind didn’t want anything more than to disappear at the very moment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Any and all feedback is really appreciated! Feel free to comment who you think is next!


	6. Hang Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this on his birthday?? And no one told me? Also Linked_Aurica helped with writing the death scene! I won't leave them uncredited. Written by Miss_Morri (Sky)

There were less of them, Warriors was conflicted. He needed to lead the group now that Time was gone, but it was all his fault. It had to be why time died. And to put more salt onto the wound, he let wind see time die. How could he do that. The whole group was tired. Tired and distraught. 

He tried to lead the rest of the group through his Hyrule. Slowly trying to get to the camp not far from here. He could see the light from it through the trees. It was quite clear with how dark it was getting.

“We’re almost there guys.” He muttered to the rest of the group. Most of them did not react with much, just a short nod.

Warriors was determined to get them there. ‘If we get there, we’ll be safe, this will all be over.’ He repeated that like a mantra over and over again. It was the only thing keeping him going.

It took an hour to get there. All of them hurt from what happened it only made sense that it would take that long.

“Link! You’re back-” Artemis started. Though her happy demeanor quickly fell when she saw there were only four of them in the group.

“Where are the others? Are they okay?” 

The whole group's mood darkened further when that was said.

“We- we’re what's left. The rest-” Warriors tried to reply but tears started to choke him up. He held a hand to his mouth, trying to 

“They’re dead.” Legend stated.

Artemis and everyone one else close to the group stiffened. Hearing news of a fallen, known of who they are or not, hits anyone who knows or war.

“I’m- I’m so sorry to hear that. I wish that they could be here. Would- Would you guys want a tent and food for the night?” She tried to lighten the mood.

“Please.” Wind muttered at the back. The last death hit them very hard. Especially Wind. He saw the rest as spirits and it hurt. Seeing the ones who died, knowing only he could. It hurt.

With that Artemis led them to a table inside a large tent, having food brought to them, and giving them a tent to rest in. She could feel the darkened energy surrounding the group. She wanted all of them to be safe. Safe and okay. Even if she couldn’t bring back the dead, she would try her best to ease the pain.  
She grabbed Warriors before he went to get to the tent. “Will you guys be okay? Is there anything else I can do?” 

Warriors just tried to give a smile, “You’ve done a lot for us. Thank you.”

“It’s- I’ll do it anytime Link.”

Warriors left and went to find the tent. Walking a while before he found it. But before he could go to the tent, a soldier at the camp grabbed him, and pulled Warriors to face him.

“Soldier? What do you need?”

One of his men started to drag him away from what he was doing.

“Why are you pulling me away? What is happening?” He started to talk quickly. Becoming more panicked by the second. ‘What’s happening. Please, please let this be nothing.’ He tried to pull back from the soldier but there was someone else starting to hold him by the other arm.

“Soldiers, I demand you to tell me what is happening!? What are you doing!?”

Warriors started to yank his arms away even as more of his men started to surround him. He didn’t even know where they came from. ‘Oh goddess. Is this the end? Am I next?’ Fear overtook him as the rest of his men started to grab and drag him somewhere. Warriors tried to look at where they were taking him. It was a tree. ‘No. no no no no no no no-’

“Hang him soldiers! The princess has ordered this from you!”

Warriors stiffened and looked up to see Impa command the soldiers grabbing and dragging him. 

“Impa! Impa please! Don’t let this happen I beg you!” He knew what was going to happen and he was scared.

Impa Ignored Warriors in favor of taking his scarf away from him. She went to the tree and started to tie it to the tree, almost robotically. The curled up tree held his scarf like it was meant to be there. Even then, Warriors still struggled, trying to get free and change his fate.

The soldiers who were grabbing him kept their hold even to the end. Even though Warriors struggled to get free, the soldier dragged him to his scarf, to the tree, and put it around his neck. He panicked and thrashed even through them tying it to his neck, just so he would live till tomorrow. Just so he can make sure they’re okay. 

They pulled.   
He could feel the pressure of the scarf pulling him down when they let him go. The scream he let go, was cut off halfway when the scarf tightened the higher they pulled him up. It hurts. Goddess it hurts. Warriors scarf dug into his neck, cutting off his airway. He started to dig and scratch at his scarf trying to get it off. ‘I’m going to die oh goddess i'm going to die’ He was gasping for air even though he couldn’t get any. ‘I need air. Please-’ His vision started to blur. Even if he wanted to scream, he couldn't. He wanted his brother or anyone, anything to save him from his fate… Death by hanging… 

Seconds ticked by…   
And at the end he accepted his fate. Fighting was useless. He felt useless. But at the same time he was at peace. His mind fogged and body numb, all he could do was accept the end. All he could hope was to see his brother again.

The thing he treasured moste beside his brother, brought him to his end. 

_______

Wind woke up to a scream. His first instinct was to run toward the scream. Wind knew. He just knew someone wasn't here anymore. So he ran until he found who gave that gut wrenching scream.

“I didn’t order this! Why- He can’t be gone. Please! He has to wake up! He can’t be dead!!”

Wind stopped right when he heard this. He found Artemis sobbing at a tree. A tree with Warriors hanging from it. Looking at Artemis again he could see Warrior’s spirit try and comfort her. Soft sounds of “I’m sorry’s” and “It’s not your fault.” 

“My Queen-”

Wind looked at Artemis, just realizing Impa was standing at her side.

“You are dismissed!” Artemis yelled.

“My Queen Please. I- I’m so sorry it wasn’t-” 

“General! You are dismissed.” 

With that Impa left. Her heart grieves for Warriors while leaving. Even if it was her fault, that was her brother in arms.

Wind could hear the distant sounds of Hyrule and Legend but all he could focus on was Warriors. His mind couldn’t take it, he couldn’t understand. Why, why is this happening. What did they do to deserve this. Wind wanted to cry, but he couldn’t and it hurt. Why couldn’t he cry. Cry for Warriors, for Time, for everyone again. So he knelt there. Even through Artemis getting up and cutting him down, taking the scarf away and holding it close. To Hyrule holding the body by the tunic like Warriors would wake up. To Legend screaming and sobbing for Warriors to just “Come back! Please come back!” He knelt there.

_______

He knew this wasn’t the end.


	7. Blink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is wrong, Wind begins to realize. Not just in this endless stream of death, but in what comes after.
> 
> _Not all who wander are lost._
> 
> Time was right. It seems the Goddess is dead, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! It's MajesticGaZell again! Hope you enjoy some more MURDER! (No, I don't know why I'm doing this either, but here we are.)

Warriors was still wearing his scarf.

It remained just as vibrant a royal blue as always, an azure beacon shining in the midst of brutal war. His captain, his friend, his role-model, his pillar-

His _brother._

There he stood, iridescent mirage shifting in the sun’s beams. Indeed, the specter wore the face of his beloved Warriors, but those boisterous, fiery eyes were clouded and translucent. Reduced to nothing more than a spirit. Lost.

Just like the others.

Wind spared them a glance, a pang of sorrow reverberating through his chest as he took in each and every one of their empty gazes. He swallowed around the ache in his throat as he remembered everything those stares once held…

_It was a gift and a curse._

_A gift as he was guided through his duties by those spirits- wandering, but not lost- and consoled,_ held, _by the resilient beings of the land itself. A gift as epiphany struck and the world opened up wide before him, incandescence of both tangible and intangible glowing bright. A gift for those too-soon parted, his ears withholding the elegy from the deceased themselves._

 _It was a gift when he was able to see_ his _face again, ragged and warm and tear-stained but_ home _all the same, and a gift when he held what was lost without preface._

_And yet those fleeting moments remained a curse in the memory, a constant question of churning doubt. Had he said all that needed to be said? Did he hold him close enough, showed he loved him and thanked him for giving him what childhood had failed to bestow?_

_Father, he called him. Father, he said, buried in the confines of his blue overcoat, hair tickled by the red cravat around his neck. Father, he cried, as that melancholy smile was snatched up in the wind’s currents._

Wind shook his head. These memories… they weren’t- they’re not _his-!_

_He stood there, staring at the sky above that wretched tombstone, and wondered…_

_‘What else can I stand to gain, if I’m only to lose it so soon…?”_

A curse, he thought, as he stared at the devoid gazes of his brothers. There was no conscious, no _humanity_ nor thought as they silently trudged behind what remained of the heroes. 

Again, Wind tried to shake the memories- the _feelings_ (not his, _not his!)-_ from his mind. A hand clasped his shoulder and he sighed, waving it off.

“I’m fine, Wil-”

He cut himself off as his eyes met Legend’s eyes- Legend, who looked _desperate_ and _alone_ and _nauseatingly terrified-_ not Wild’s. His other hand was occupied with Hyrule’s, who was staring at the floor, scleras red and puffy. 

No, Wild was sitting atop the windowsill of their shared room, and Wind could see right through him. Time stood listlessly fiddling with his ocarina next to Twilight, who had his eyes closed as he leaned against the brick wall. Sky was on the floor, sleeping contentedly, while Four watched from afar with a small smile (with those empty, empty eyes). Warriors lounged in the small stool in their room, seemingly at east. 

They looked _so real._ _Normal._

Wind blinked and Warriors was hanging in the rafters by his scarf. He blinked and Wild’s cooked corpse was strewn about the floor, arms and legs blown off somewhere in the room. He blinked, and Twilight, charred and twisted, lay unmoving right next to him as Time bent over to join them in two, dripping halves. He blinked, watching as Four split once more, bursting into flames and fever and choking on lungs of water. He blinked, and Sky’s face twisted into frozen agony, tear tracks like crystals as his undead eyes bore into the sword in his chest.

_Blink. Blink. Blink._

The hand on his shoulder squeezed. Wind tore his eyes away from the ever-shifting scene. Legend still held that same agony in his eyes. 

“Fight it,” he said, voice broken and raspy from tears. “Please, Wind. You can fight this. Don’t let whatever this is take you.”

Oh, how Wind wished he could cry. But every time he opened and closed his eyes, horror awaited him in the background. All he could do was stare. And blink. 

He felt so _empty._

He didn’t respond to Legend. He knew he should have, but there was no strength in him to even open his mouth. _Catatonic,_ his mind told him, a quiet, logistical cadence echoing about his brain. That very voice was asking questions, never stopping, a mess of spiritual knowledge met with dumbfoundment as he continued to stare at his brothers.

_Blink. Blink. Blink…_

_Why hadn’t they moved on, yet?_

Spirits stayed. Ghosts didn’t. Yet here they were, his brothers in arms, dying over and over right before his eyes. 

_Not all who wander are lost,_ his grandma had said. But his family was wandering, and all of them were lost. 

_Grandma._

The thought of someone _safe-_ someone unaffected by this heedless, unjust tragedy- stirred something within him. He finally shifted, raising a shaky arm of sickly skin (when was the last time he ate? Slept? Drank? He couldn’t remember-) and rested his freezing hand atop Legend’s. With all the remaining strength in his body, he uttered two, exhausted words.

“I’ll try.”

He let his eyes slip closed. The ghosts erased themselves alongside his vision, and Wind decided that the next time he awoke, he’d keep his eyes _shut._

* * *

Legend didn’t question him when he woke up and started tearing at the bottom of his tunic. Hyrule didn’t ask why as he wrapped the strip of cloth around his eyes. They knew what was coming, and if Wind thought this would prevent his impending doom, they wouldn’t doubt him. So they simply held out their hands, leading their youngest along with touch.

The castle of Warriors’ Hyrule was like a fortress, and the remaining heroes found themselves being treated like royalty (not that they could stomach much of the decadent food being served to them). Artemis was nowhere to be seen, understandably. They’d heard rumors of her lingering a touch too close to the edge of the guard’s towers. Heard how she had been recklessly leaving for days at a time with empty _(lostlostlost)_ eyes. Absently, Hyrule wondered how much this heartbreak would truly cost her…

They didn’t speak. Between the three of them, there were no words, only murmured warnings from Legend and Hyrule of stairs and bumps for their now-blind companion. Wind said nothing. 

The silence was a threat, and it drew on for _ages._ Bravery and courage were reduced to trembling dread as the minutes ticked on into hours, days… It was a question of ‘when’, not ‘if’. 

They knew better than that, now. 

It was almost relieving- in some, twisted, cathartic sense- to see that black portal swallow them up again. _This_ was routine. They _knew_ what was awaiting them now. 

And they knew there was nothing they could do, so they just held each other close, breathing in the smells and feeling the texture of each other’s clothes just _one more time_ before the inevitable. 

The sun beat down his back from the trapdoor above. The deep drumming of oceanic gales buffeting sailcloth pulsed in his ears. Water lapped the ship and at his mind. 

Wind’s Hyrule had been anticipated, even by Wind himself, but being there was always different than imagining it. The gentle cradling of the rocking ship, the sun’s endless heat warming malnourished limbs, that poorly covered, rancid stench of the crew stinging the nose but _oh-so familiar-_

Wind felt the ocean in his chest as it welled up.

He tore off his blindfold, hissing as his eyes met _scorching_ light, and dashed out from the hull of the ship. He knew the woodwork of this boat like his own home- _this was his home,_ after all- and scrambled up the stairs to the deck. 

“Tetra!” he called, that ocean within rising and rising and he was so close-!

He broke out from the dank musk below and sucked in the fresh air of the sea’s breeze. Gusts whipped around his head, tossing his hair to and fro and he felt so _free._

The numbness ebbed and the ocean within reached his throat. He could feel the smile beginning to stretch on his face, could feel the well of tears as they stung at his eyes-

Hands grabbed at him, small and calloused and familiar, but the aggression in the action was foreign. They tugged at his arms until they were bent back unnaturally, straining as they were held high against his back. A foot slammed against his back and crashed to the ground, arms still throttled in a vice-grip. 

“Traitor.”

And everything froze.

That voice. It was a voice of sunshine and laughter and love and light and warmth and-

Venom. All that was left was pure _malice._

His arms were tied up hastily and brutally, thick rope burning against his skin. Wind gasped, and there was Tetra, squatting with her forearms braced against her legs as she leered at him with heartbroken hate. 

Wind gasped as his legs were forced upward unnaturally and- _oh goddess-_ tied to his arms, too weak to fight as he was hogtied. “W-Wait-! Tetra! I- Wh- What’s going on?! What did I _do?!”_

Tetra blinked at him, eyes wide with surprise. For a moment, there was simply silence as Tetra processed whatever Wind said that had been so shocking.

“Oh my gods,” she snorted. “Oh my gods!”

Wind watched as she doubled over in manic laughter, sounding disturbingly detached.

“What did- What did _you do?! You’re_ asking _me?!_ Hah!” 

Tetra sucked in a breath, calming herself down. Wind could see the tear-stains on her face, her red-rimmed eyes as they glimmered with sorrow and _hate._ She grabbed Wind by the back of his tunic’s collar, pushing the shirt into his throat. He squirmed fruitlessly, trying to breathe through the cloth that was choking him. Finally, he was tossed to the ground. 

“You want an answer?” Tetra asked, gesturing to something behind her. “I want a fucking answer to _this,_ you bitch.”

A tangle of limbs. A pile of familiar faces, stretched and frozen into expressions of agony. Pallid skin and dry eyes. Stiff limbs and rotting flesh.

_Blink._

And there they were, right beside Tetra’s massacred crew. Standing casually, just like any other day.

_Blink._

Lying amongst the corpses, flesh and blood scattered about like the confetti Wind had thrown when Tetra had returned to her ship (as _Tetra, not Zelda)._

It had been a wondrous evening. Having never lived as a princess, Tetra had appointed a new leader of the land and returned to a life of piracy, Wind right beside her. They’d thrown a party, and Wind was tossed about in the air alongside their beloved captain, cheers and shouts and ale flying through the air. 

_Blink._

The lost visage of Warriors stood admiring a bulky, severed arm, as though it was an object to be appraised on the market. Wind remembered holding that very hand, grunting and groaning and laughing as he fought a one-sided arm wrestle with someone four times his size. 

_“You’re small,”_ he’d said. _“But that just makes it all the more impressive that you saved the world. Not even I could do that.”_

Those arms had wrapped around him and pulled him against a barreled, sweaty chest, but Wind found he didn’t mind the stench that night. 

_Blink._

He wanted his blindfold back.

“So. You want to ask what you did? I think you know the answer.”

_Blink._

Something clattered on the floor in front of him, covered in blood and gore. At first, it was so hidden by _red red red_ that it was hard to discern it from others of its kind, but… Wind would recognize that hilt and pommel anywhere.

_The Master Sword._

“My crew was slaughtered last night. Chopped to bits with no one left to blame but me. Then you show up from my _hull._ This was all that was left. The sword that can be wielded by _one person and one person alone._ I _fucking_ wonder who that could be. Care to explain?”

 _Blink_.

Wind couldn’t speak. 

“I didn’t believe it was possible. It _couldn’t_ have been you. And then you show up on my ship, the morning after you took _everything.”_

_Blink._

“Wind!” 

Hyrule’s voice rang out. He and Legend wore matching patches of crusted blood on their face, swaying dangerously. No wonder it had taken them so long to make it to the deck. It wasn’t the first time one of them had taken a nasty fall from the portals. Wind smiled as he deliriously thought of that time he landed right on top of Epona, accidentally kicking her into a gallop while Twilight chased after him, hollering the whole way.

He stopped smiling when he saw Twilight’s desecrated corpse staring right back at him. 

“What are you doing?! Let him _go!”_

Tetra rolled her eyes at Legend’s words.

“And if I don’t? What are you gonna do, fall on me? You can barely _stand._ Besides,” she said, turning back to Wind. “My business isn’t with you.” 

She lifted Wind’s useless body once more, fastening yet another rope around his midsection and pulling it tighter than any of the others. Wind’s eyes followed the path of the length holding him, heart dropping as he saw it went over the edge of the ship’s plank.

He glanced behind him to confirm his suspicions, and there it was. The end of the rope holding him, innocently laying on the opposite side of the ship it had been dropped from. 

_Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods-!_

_Blink._

They were staring at him, lost eyes following his helpless body. _Lost._

“And to think I spent so many years keeping you from seeing what we pirates do to traitors on this ship only to be doing it to you. You know, less than twenty-four hours ago, the thought of having you keelhauled _by my own hands_ would make me laugh at the absurdity.” 

Tetra knelt in front of Wind again. Her eyes were cold, but beneath them laid indescribably agony. The figures behind her stared emptily. 

She made to haul Wind up once more, but Hyrule and Legend lurched forward, stumbling as they ran toward their brother. Hard as steel, cold as ice, and with the precision of a master’s deadly aim, Tetra whipped two pistols from her belt. The sound rang in the vast, ocean air, and before Wind could blink, both his brothers were stumbling over, boots already doused in blood. 

“Try that again and I’ll shoot a little higher. I’ve heard femurs make the most painful break.”

Helpless and writhing in flares of pain, Legend and Hyrule watched as Wind was finally lifted in Tetra’s arms, the once-princess walking him to the edge of the plank.

_Blink._

There, in who he considered a sister’s arms, Wind closed his eyes. He opened them. Time, Twilight, Wild, Four, Sky, Warriors… they bore into him with their stares, hollow ghosts. 

_Not all who wander are lost._

These spirits would never be found. 

Wind shut his eyes again, and decided this would be the last time he’d have to do that. For a fleeting moment, with Tetra’s arms wrapped securely around him, Wind could pretend he was safe at home. With a deep breath of the air, with that stinging familiarity of security, the ocean within finally welled past his throat and through his eyes. 

And he cried.

The tumultuous waters swallowed him whole, and he felt that rope around his midsection _pull._ His hogtied body was relentlessly pulled toward the ship and he finally, _finally,_ let himself scream and sob and thrash and _cry._

He cried and cried and cried.

Something scratched at his arm. His body bumped along the wood of the ship’s bottom which was _covered_ in barnacles, sharp and unforgiving. Laceration after laceration marred his skin, joining together in a pattern as flesh exposed itself to stinging saltwater. It burned.

**_IT BURNED._ **

He tumbled through the ocean he'd once called home, slowly torn apart by the ship that had once carried him safely across the lands. He sucked in water, praying for the death he’d always feared to _come faster._

Something hit his head. He felt his body go limp.

…

…

…

And he was _lost…_

_Blink._

* * *

Knowing what was to happen didn’t appease the shock. Legend and Hyrule watched, barely conscious, as Tetra dropped their brother overboard, took the end of the rope tied to him, and pulled his body beneath the ship. 

They watched the tears poor from her eyes. They watched the strain of her muscles as she dragged Wind’s body through the fatal depths below. They watched as she hauled what was left of him up, a mangled mess of flesh and bone and blood. 

She started laughing again. Legend nearly did, too, but all that left him was a strangled, inhuman sound. Hyrule was gagging. 

Tetra dropped to her knees, Wind’s corpse below her. She took out her pistols, and Legend felt his blood run cold as he realized this was how they _all_ would die. 

Funny what revenge could do to a friend. Funny that Wind didn’t even _do_ anything.

Funny they had to _live through this hell in the first place._

There were two heroes left, but not for long. They closed their eyes, waiting for goddess-knows-what to take them.

_Bang._

And Tetra toppled over, a neat little hole of red adorning her temple. 

The sun pounded against the deck, ruthless and uncaring. The ocean roared in their ears, the cry of victory of a predator that had taken its prey. The stench was unyielding, stinging the nose, choking the throat, filling the air with the odor of death. 

Neither moved. They dared not even twitch. 

No, Wind’s death had come and gone. Now it was a matter of waiting for the next. Dreadful numbness left no room to mourn, so they lied, bleeding, on the ship full of death.

They drifted…

Lost.

* * *

_Not all who wander are lost. Oh, grandma. How naive._

You lied.

_Blink._


	8. Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup lads. Mew here and I have killed the magic man (I am only a tiny bit sorry).

It was quiet. So quiet. Too quiet.

Hyrule stumbled after Legend, who strode through the thick forest, a blank mask on his face. But it couldn’t hide everything. Pain, anger and fear swam in his eyes, framed by deep, dark circles.

The traveller had lost track of how long they’d been walking blindly through the Hyrule they’d ended up. He knew it was his world, but he had absolutely no idea where they were. Legend, who would’ve normally had some form of snarky remark at the ready, had said nothing and simply grabbed his hand and led the way down the twist of dust in the grass that just barely passed as a path.

Hyrule glanced down at their still-intertwined hands. Neither of them had let go since they started, as though they were afraid the other would simply vanish if they did.

Vanish like the others…

Hyrule’s heart twisted painfully as his was suddenly flooded with horrible images. Images of that blue scrap floating in the sea. Of Green crumbling to nothing. Of Vio laughing manically as he disappeared into a swarm of black. Of Red swallowed up by raging flames. Of Sky with blood pouring out his throat. Of Wild, broken and burnt. Of Warriors, still and pale, the skin around his neck red and raw. Of Wind, virtually unrecognisable, flesh ragged and torn.

The question hung unspoken between him and the other remaining hero.

_Who was next?_

Fear took hold of him as he imagined Legend, cold, dead, eyes blank and empty.

“’Rule.”

The young hero halted, glancing up to see Legend staring back at him with concern. He couldn’t figure out why. Surely he hadn’t said anything out loud?

As thought to answer his question, Legend reached into the pocket of his tunic, pulling out a white handkerchief which he held out for him. It was only then that Hyrule realised tears were falling freely down his face. He accepted it, mumbling thanks, dragging the soft fabric across his face. Legend watched silently before gently squeezing his hand. Hyrule looked back up, sniffling.

“It’s going to be okay, ‘Rule. We will figure something out. I… I promise.”

“How can you possibly promise that?” Hyrule whispered. He felt his shoulders beginning to tremble as more tears soaked his cheeks. “Everyone is _dead_ , Legend. We’re going to die too, and we _can’t_ stop it!”

Legend suddenly dropped his hand, surging forward and grasping his shoulders firmly, staring him straight in the eyes.

“Listen to me. You’re not going to die. I won’t let it happen, okay?”

Hyrule gazed back at him, droplets hanging precariously off his eyelashes. “And what about you?”

The veteran gave him a tiny smile and for a brief moment, a flash of normality settled between the two of them.

“It’ll take more than whatever this curse is to take me down, traveller.”

With a shaky breath, Hyrule nodded. They stood there, making a silent promise. They would protect each other. Neither of them would fall.

***

As the sun began to sink, bathing the land in red, they continued picking their way through the dense trees. Hyrule winced as pain lanced up his leg, forcing himself to keep walking. While it had healed the wounds leaving little of than a scar for them both, his magic had done little to alleviate the pain of the wounds gifted to him and Legend by Tetra. He bit his lip, glancing over at his companion to see him in much the same state. They’d been walking for hours. Eventually, Legend stopped, leaning heavily against a nearby tree.

“We need to stop,” he muttered reluctantly, rubbing his calf. “It’s getting dark anyway. We’ll stop here and figure out what to do next in the morning.”

Hyrule said nothing. What was there to say anymore? Instead, he watched as Legend sank to the ground, looking more defeated and vulnerable then he’d ever seen him. Hopelessness settled within him, filling his head with the same thought over and over.

_We’re going to die. We’re going to die. We’re going to die. We’re-_

“Hyrule MOVE!”

Hyrule’s head suddenly snapped up at the other’s panicked shout. He barely caught sight of Legend staring, horrified, at something over his shoulder before the world exploded into a glare of white and red.

The sound of yelling and swords clashing filled the air, as Hyrule struggled to fight the black that threatened to take over his vision. He clenched his fists, shaking as pain shot through his head. His fingers curled around the soft grass. When had he fallen? He tried to lift his head, pushing past the spikes of agony that occurred with every small movement. Through the ever-darkening haze, he could just make out the shape of Legend, locked in dual against a figure shrouded in darkness.

_Dark_.

Hyrule willed, _begged_ his body to move. But to no avail.

The last then he registered as the darkness took him over completely was clawed hands digging into his shoulder, and a voice screaming his name.

***

The first thing Hyrule registered as he slowly awakened was pain. A horrible, burning radiated from his left side. There was something so awfully familiar about it, yet every time he tried the pinpoint it, the pain intensified, forcing a pathetic whimper from his lips.

As his hazy mind began to clear, he realised he was in pitch darkness. He blinked, his eyelashes brushing against something. It took all but a few seconds for it dawn on him. He'd been blindfolded.

His breath caught in his throat, panic beginning to bubble deep within him, but he forced it down, desperately reminding himself that panicking wouldn't help him. He reached up to tug at the blindfold. And then it hit him. He couldn't move.

He yanked his arm only to be greeted by the heavy clanking of chains. As he struggled fruitlessly against the chains, his panic increasing with every movement, his back scraped against something cold and hard beneath him. The one remaining straight-thinking part of his brain registered that he was lying down.

Panic was quickly replaced with fear. He didn't know where he was. He could barely remember what had happened. He couldn't see. He was chained down and helpless. He didn't know where Legend was or if he was even still alive. And icy feeling spread through his heart. _What if he was dead?_

The silhouettes of Legend and his opponent lingered in his mind. The figure had been draped in shadows but there was something about him. Something that awakened a memory like a flickering light.

“Look who decided to grace us with his waking presence,” a cold voice sounded, right by his left ear. Instinctively, Hyrule tried to jerk away prompting a cruel laugh from the speaker.

“Nice try but you aren’t going anywhere, hero.”

With that one word, his mind flashed in recognition. Dread prickled all over his body as he placed the identity of his captor.

“Dark Link,” he whispered.

“Very good. Nice to know that my dashing looks aren’t the sole reason I’m memorable,” Dark replied with a sardonic laugh. “But enough chit chat. There are things to be done. Some… unfinished business you might say.”

Hyrule froze as the tip of a blade was dragged menacingly across his abdomen, coming to a halt on his side. Tiny pricks of cold, present even through his tunic, mingled with the searing pain below his scarred flesh.

_No_.

“Finally, Lord Ganon will rise again,” Dark proclaimed, his words dripping with unsettling delight. “And you will be exactly where you belong – in the ashes of the kingdom.”

As Dark’s cackling filled his ears, Hyrule pulled and twisted at the chains. He had to get away. He had to. He searched deep within himself, desperately trying to find his magic. It was the only weapon he had. But he couldn’t find it. No, no, no, no. Cold sweat dripped down his face as he strained to catch hold of it. It had to be there. It couldn’t have just… vanished.

“Don’t even bother,” Dark laughed. The chains suddenly rattled, tightening, and stopping his movements. “Do you really think I’d be so stupid as to let you shoot lightning at me?” The chains jangled again. “These are infused with dark magic, designed to neutralise yours. Specially made for this occasion,” he added, his tone teasing.

Hyrule’s eyes burned with unshed tears. This couldn’t be it. He’d escaped Dark and Ganon’s minions a thousand times over, this couldn’t be the end. How could he let this happen? The other heroes were dead and now his own death would destroy an already fragile kingdom. He let the tears freely soak into the blindfold as Dark’s blade pressed down onto his scar, letting lose a silent prayer for Legend.

_Please let him be alive. Please let him live_.

“And now… it’s time-”

Dark words were cut off has he let out a surprised yell. The sound of an arrow cut through the air, followed quickly by a muttered curse from his captor. The tip of the blade left his side.

“Well, well,” Dark sneered. “Look who showed up.”

Hyrule almost wept with relief as a familiar voice, albeit lacking its usual snarkiness, replied.

“Let him go, you bastard.” Legend’s words radiated with anger.

“Hmm… you know. I don’t think I will.”

“NO!” Legend cried. Hyrule didn’t have time to question why when his left side suddenly filled with fire. An unwilling pained scream escaped him as the knife moved, dragging across his stomach, tearing away at his skin, spilling the precious blood. He thrashed, he cried, he begged for it to stop. But it didn’t. His ears filled with maniacal laughter, his own screams, and the screams of Legend, crying out for him.

This couldn’t happen. Ganon would rise again and it was all his fault. He couldn’t, he wouldn’t let it happen. He vowed to protect Hyrule and he was going to keep that promise. No matter what it took.

With every single bit of his remaining strength, Hyrule dug deep down, gathering everything; his will to save the kingdom, to save Legend, to stop Dark; and praying it would work, he let it _explode_.

His left hand burned intensely as golden light burst from him, so bright and pure it was visible through the darkness.

Dark let out a pained shriek, wrenching the knife out. Hyrule didn’t stop. He put everything, everything, he had into the light, pushing past the agony, past the oppressive aura of the chains.

And then it stopped.

The dazzling light fizzled out as Hyrule found himself surrounded by black once more. He let himself go limp, exhausted, the pain across his abdomen returning with even more force than before. But the knife was gone. The intense presence of Dark was gone. Yet he wasn’t alone.

Frantic hands tore away the chains, carefully pulling him up off whatever he was lying on. He found himself pressed up against something warm, something so familiar. The black fabric was suddenly snatched away from his eyes, leaving him blinking up at the blurry figure that was leaning over him.

“..ey. HEY! Come on traveller, talk to me. Please.”

“L… Legend?”

Legend’s face began to fade into focus. The veteran pulled him close, holding him as though he could physically prevent him from the inevitable.

“Yeah, it’s me ‘Rule. I’m here. Just… hold on, alright? It’s going to be okay.”

Hyrule felt tears slipping down his face as he sunk into the arms of his friend. His brother. He was alive. He had to keep going.

“Legend…” he choked out, blood dribbling past his lips. He ignored the sounds of Legend shushing him and grabbed the other’s tunic as tightly as he could. “You… ‘eed to ‘et rid of… blood.” His words slurred as a wave as dizziness and pure exhaustion washed over him, but he pressed on. “’on’t let Dark… use it.”

Legend shook his head, tears of his own visible in the corners of his eyes. “You can do all that yourself,” he said, holding him tighter. “You’re going to be just-”

“…please,” Hyrule rasped, his throat raw. “Clean it… then... burn.”

Legend paused. Hyrule could feel him shaking beneath him. Finally, the veteran took a deep breath, and nodded sagely.

“I will. I promise.”

Relieved, Hyrule leaned into his embrace. Silence settled around them. The only thing he could hear was the steady sound of Legend’s beating heart. He closed his eyes, silently praying to any deity that would listen to keep it beating.

_Please let him live. Please_.

“…egend?”

He forced his eyes back open, looking up to see Legend staring down at him, completely crushed and hopeless.

“Yeah?”

“I…” Hyrule burst into a coughing fit, gasping for air as more blood filled his throat. He fell back into his brother’s arms, shuddering from the effort just to stay alive. Legend squeezed his arm, murmuring encouragements into his ear. The edges of Hyrule’s vision filled with darkness as he struggled to keep filling his lungs. He knew what was happening. He just had to hold on a few seconds longer. He had to tell Legend…

“I…” he tried again, pushing past the weariness that held him back. “…I love you,” he whispered.

Legend’s eyes filled with fresh tears as he opened his mouth to reply, but a dark haze clouded his vision, hiding him from view. Hyrule let the haze wash over him, falling into a blanket of black.

He never heard Legend’s last words to him.

***

Legend watched the flames reach up towards the night sky, the heat doing nothing to stop the tremors that wracked through him. The scent of burning flesh caught his nose, forcing him to turn away as nausea built up inside him.

He kept his promise.

His gaze fell to the only thing he couldn’t burn. The hilt of Hyrule’s sword gleamed in the firelight. Heart heavy, Legend picked it up, cradling it close.

_Why couldn’t I protect him?_ he thought, tears stinging at his eyes once more. He wiped them away roughly. Anger, pain, guilt, sorrow – they all took hold of him, drowning him in cruel thoughts and memories. Of Hyrule. Of all the heroes.

They were all gone. He was alone.


	9. Blackout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter By Bonespell (Kayla).
> 
> damn! this took all summer, but here i am, killing my boy once and for all.

Legend cried out as he was thrown. He landed on the arm he was clutching, and it sent spikes of pain ricocheting through his body. The monsters cackled in the deep, guttural way that had become familiar to Legend over the course of his adventures. He pulled himself along the mud, careful not to look down at his hand again. His arm.

The monster fisted a hand into his hair, yanking him to his feet. Legend yelped in pain, squeezing his eyes shut. If this was how it was going to happen, he could accept it. He very nearly prayed to the forsaken goddess Hylia, asking her for it to be quick.

The monster put him back down, grip going slack. Legend didn’t wait to see what saved him. He turned tail and sprinted down the path, mud flying beneath his heels as the rain pounded down around him.

Legend accidentally snuck a peak at his hand, and gasped when he saw it. His fingers were blackened. He was missing a few fingernails, and he watched as the one on his pinky slipped from the rotting skin as he ran. He could smell it.

Body rot was a smell Legend was unfortunately familiar with. He’d fought plenty of people and lost plenty more. He remembers sitting by his uncle’s corpse in that dark, wet tunnel vividly. How cold his skin was. He’d gone back later, and saw the body. It stunk up the whole tunnel, and filled his nostrils as he dragged the body off to bury it.

Marin hadn’t ever had a body. He was, in some twisted way, grateful he never had to see it. He didn’t think he could take it if he had.

That smell was the smell radiating as it climbed his arm. He figured that this was how Hylia chose to dispose of him. It was… horrible. He could feel his body rotting, and he shook his head when he begun to think about someone’s cause of death he would have preferred. He shouldn’t think like that.

The truth was that Legend was scared and selfish. He was scared of being alone, scared of death. He didn’t want to die and leave everything behind. For more than half of his life, he’d been fighting to stay alive. He’d never thought past it. 

Perhaps there was a time when he wasn’t scared of death. But now he had things to lose.

Legend was selfish for letting himself believe he could keep what he had. Everyone around him died, and he was sure the other heroes could take care of themselves. They couldn’t, and it wasn’t their fault. By mere association to his hatred for the goddess, he’d gotten them all killed. It was all his fault.

A voice deep in Legend’s mind that sounded suspiciously like the others insisted, overlapping itself, that it wasn’t his fault. He audibly snorted for bullshit. If he’d been paying more attention, they couldn’t have dragged Warriors off. If he’d been stronger, he could have fought his way to Warriors before they strung him up.

If he’d been more aware of Tetra, he wouldn’t have gotten shot. He could have helped pull Wind back, stop her from mauling him with a ship. Stop her from shooting herself.

If he’d been faster, he could have gotten to Hyrule in time. He wouldn’t have had to watch his body turn to ash to stop those  _ monsters _ from getting his blood.

Legend knew that as long as he’d live, which probably wouldn’t be much longer, he’d never forget the feeling of Warriors’ unmoving chest as he pounded his fists down on it, begging him to wake. Never forget the sight of what remained from Wind. He’d never forget the weight in his arms that was Hyrule as he carried the hero to the fire he’d begun.

He’d never forget that last look in Twilight’s eyes or those bubbling burns spread across Wild’s skin or the look of Time’s mangled corpse or the smell of Red burning or watching Sky unable to help or the wasps on Vio or-

There were lights in the distance. They were barely visible through the rain, and they were jumping around as Legend was staggering forward more than running, but he knew what they were from. Legend used the last of his energy to activate the pegasus boots, sighing as he shot across the mud and collapsed in front of a familiar home.

Legend’s remaining, unrotted arm pulled him forwards and slammed him against the door. He sobbed when there was no response. His body ached. He couldn’t move his legs. He-

He fell into the house as the door opened to a familiar hood. Then a familiar face as the hood lifted and the person dropped down next to him.

“Mr. Hero, are you alright?” Ravio asked, eyebrows knitted together in concern. He slid an arm under Legend’s shoulders, pulling the hero up to lean his head against his shoulder.

“No,” Legend said, quieter than he wanted to. He couldn’t make his voice work. He lifted his uninjured hand to the back of Ravio’s neck, pulling him down into a hug. Ravio, with deceptive strength, pulled Legend into a princess carry and laid him down on the couch.

“Rav,” Legend rasped, losing the second half of the word. The rot was climbing. “Ravio.”

“Relax, Mr. Hero!” Ravio replied, tone fake-cheerful. It was a good customer service voice, but Legend knew the difference. Legend wasn’t foolish. He’d known the merchant for far too long.

“C’mere. Ravio. Please.”

Ravio kneeled next to the couch. “You’ll be fine, Mr. Hero!”

Legend lifted his rotting hand to show Ravio, and laced the fingers of his healthy hand together with the merchant’s. He choked back another sob. It hurt so bad.

“Oh, Link…” Ravio murmured under his breath, in that real voice that barely anyone got to hear. The real voice that he used at home. With Legend. He squeezed Legend’s hand.

“‘m dying,” Legend pointed out, and Ravio nodded. “All my friends.. they’re dead too.. ‘m last.”

With that final sentence, Legend began to cry in earnest, hiccuping between sobs. He didn’t want to die. Hylia, he didn’t want to die. 

Ravio pulled him into a tight hug, settling on the couch behind him. Ravio was so good at knowing what to do. It was an ability Legend envied. Legend had always been brash. He’d always been.

“Ravio, I don’t wanna die. I’m scared,” Legend whispered, pressing his face into Ravio’s shoulder. His cheek ached. He knew the rot had reached his face. It closed over the fingertips of his healthy hand. He was surprised that Ravio didn’t mind the smell. 

Legend was aware how cushy his death was compared to his companions, but  _ Hylia, he was scared _ .

For the first time in many years, Legend prayed to a goddess he knew was deranged. She had done this to them, but maybe she would find mercy.

The rot climbed up. Legend could taste it. The stench choked up his nostrils, his throat. Legend gasped for clean air. His vision went next.

“‘m sorry,” Legend whispered. He blinked his eyes. He couldn’t see. The only thing he was sure of was the hand combing through his hair.

“It’s okay,” He heard Ravio say. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Link. You did so good.”

Ravio’s voice cracked on good, but if he said something after that, Legend didn’t hear it as the rot crept up his ears. His senses were gone, all he could do was feel as the rot crept into his brain, into his heart and his organs, all he could feel was the pain in the darkness and-

**Author's Note:**

> Please drop a comment with any constructive/positive feedback! And let us know if you have any predictions on who's next on the list... heheheh.


End file.
